Oak Ridge Today

Boys & Girls Clubs has fundraising Reverse Raffle on Oct. 7

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley will hold its annual Reverse Raffle on Saturday, October 7, at 6:30 p.m. This year’s event will again be hosted and catered by the Oak Ridge Country Club, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Country Club’s renovations to their pool and outdoor bar have created a great space for entertainment, the press release said.

“By having the event a little later this year, we hope to take advantage of the outdoor spaces, cooler weather, and phenomenal fall views,” said Boys & Girls Club Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Pettyjohn.

This year’s jackpot is again $10,000, the press release said. [Read more…]

United Way funds discretionary grants

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United Way of Anderson County awarded nearly $50,000 in grants to local nonprofits as part of its first Discretionary Grant cycle last month, a press release said.

United Way of Anderson County awarded nearly $50,000 in grants to local nonprofits as part of its first Discretionary Grant cycle last month, a press release said.

 

United Way of Anderson County awarded nearly $50,000 in grants to local nonprofits as part of its first Discretionary Grant cycle last month, a press release said.

While UWAC’s standard grant cycle focuses on programs that will have a long-term impact on clients’ lives, the Discretionary Grant offers funding for one-time, project-based requests that will enable the organizations to improve or expand the reach of existing programs and provide better service to their clients, the press release said. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society to hold fall wildflower walk meet & greet in September

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Kris Light is pictured above on a fall wildflower walk at the University of Tennessee Arboretum. (Photo by UT Arboretum Society)

Kris Light is pictured above on a fall wildflower walk. (Photo by UT Arboretum Society)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will host a meet-and-greet followed by a fall wildflower walk at Haw Ridge Trails on Saturday, September 2. The event is scheduled from 9-11 a.m.

Kris Light, an expert naturalist, educator, and photographer will lead this fun, educational, and easy walk, a press release said. Participants may want to bring a camera to take pictures of the many wildflowers, the release said.

Describing the walk, Light said, “Most people think of springtime as wildflower season, but late summer and fall color the fields and roadsides in gold, purple and white. Come to the fall wildflower walk to learn more about the wildflowers of the fields.” [Read more…]

Today: Outback, other restaurants, support ADFAC through Dine & Donate

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A sampling of menu items from Outback Steakhouse. (Submitted photo)

A sampling of menu items from Outback Steakhouse. (Submitted photo)

 

If you have a craving for that Bloomin’ Onion or a juicy steak, Outback Steakhouse may be the place for you.

Outback, located at 402 South Illinois Avenue, will be helping Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, on Monday, August 14 through the Dine & Donate Program.  On the second Monday of each month, Outback and fourteen other restaurants donate a portion of their sales to support ADFAC.

“Dine and Donate is a very important fundraiser for ADFAC,” said Cande Seay, Dine & Donate chair. “It’s good to see families and friends enjoying a delicious meal at a local restaurant while contributing to our organization.” [Read more…]

Programs manager at MTSU Center for Historic Preservation to speak Thursday

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Lydia Simpson

Lydia Simpson

 

The programs manager at a historic preservation center in Middle Tennessee will speak in Oak Ridge on Thursday evening.

Lydia Simpson will be the featured speaker at the 7 p.m. meeting of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association at the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road.

“The importance of heritage and science tourism for Oak Ridge cannot be overstated,” a press release said. “Our story is one that many other cities would love to have. We have been told that numerous times. Yet, we can’t seem to capitalize on the tremendous story that is Oak Ridge! Why? What are we missing?”

Simpson has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s degree in history with a concentration in public history from Middle Tennessee State University. She is currently writing her dissertation on a 20th century rayon-mill community as she works toward completion of the Public History Ph.D. program at MTSU, the press release said. [Read more…]

ORHPA having 75th anniversary for Oak Ridge on Sept. 15

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ORHPA city 75th Birthday Celeb Flyer 2

Photographer Ed Westcott will be the honored guest and author Denise Kiernan will be the guest speaker at a 75th anniversary celebration for Oak Ridge on September 15.

The 75th anniversary celebration is presented by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. It’s scheduled to start with historical displays at the Historic Grove Theater at 2 p.m. Friday, September 15.

The celebration is free and open to the public, an event flyer said, but donations to Friends of the Grove and the ORHPA are welcome.

Westcott was the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II. He will be the honored guest from 4 to 5:30 p.m. September 15. There will be a photo slide show presented by Don and Emily Hunnicutt, as well as a question-and-answer session. [Read more…]

INVO PEO donates more than $8,500 in school supplies to Boys & Girls Clubs of Clinch Valley

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INVO PEO, a professional employer organization based in Clinton, recently partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley to collect school supplies for students to prepare for the upcoming school year, a press release said. (Submitted photo)

INVO PEO, a professional employer organization based in Clinton, recently partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley to collect school supplies for students to prepare for the upcoming school year, a press release said. (Submitted photo)

 

INVO PEO, a professional employer organization based in Clinton, recently partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley to collect school supplies for students to prepare for the upcoming school year, a press release said.

Employees at both INVO PEO’s Clinton and Oak Ridge offices collected more than $2,600 in monetary donations, 116 pairs of shoes, 85 backpacks, 416 packs of paper and notebooks, 1,130 writing utensils, 274 pocket folders, 550 glue sticks, and 919 other miscellaneous items, the press release said.

All the supplies collected will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs so they can distribute to students as needed. The total dollar amount of all items collected is estimated to be more than $8,500. [Read more…]

Families in need appreciate ADFAC backpacks, school supplies

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Oak Ridge Utility District employees packed 156 backpacks for Robertsville Middle School students. (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge Utility District employees packed 156 backpacks for Robertsville Middle School students. (Submitted photo)

 

Becky Hook’s back-to-school shopping list includes 3,500 backpacks, 5,100 dry erase markers, and 700 clipboards, among thousands of other items. That’s because she is shopping for ADFAC, which is giving away the backpacks filled with supplies to children whose families can’t afford them.

A mother of six students at Sunbright School in Morgan County said the backpacks and school supplies ADFAC recently provided for her children came just at the right time.

“This has been an extremely difficult summer. I lost my job and am going through a divorce, but regardless of what is happening in my life, my children still have needs and lives that go on,” Mary Ann Massey said. “These backpacks have been a godsend.”

ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties) is distributing the 3,500 new backpacks with supplies to children in need at 33 schools in Clinton, Oak Ridge, Anderson County, and Morgan County.

“I wish you could see the joy that students have when they come to pick out their backpack and the relief that their grown-ups feel to know that their children have the supplies they need to start the school year,” said Jo Bruce, director of Oak Ridge Schools Family Resource Center. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge will be viewing site for solar eclipse

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Solar eclipse (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

Solar eclipse (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge will be a viewing site for the solar eclipse on August 21.

It is estimated that the total solar eclipse in Oak Ridge will last 27 to 31 seconds at approximately 2:33 p.m. EDT August 21, a press release said.

The public is invited to view the eclipse in a clear area above the arboretum’s auditorium, the press release said. Gates will open at 1:30 p.m. for cars to park near the site. Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center staff will direct patrons to walk to the area at the top of the hill.

The public is invited to bring chairs, blankets, and viewing devices, the press release said. Normal arboretum rules will be followed including no pets and no picnicking. People are encouraged to bring water. Restrooms will be available in the auditorium building.

For this first solar eclipse over the continental United States since 1979, Oak Ridge is one of the few cities in the path of totality in Tennessee. [Read more…]

Melanie Fillauer, Rebecca Bowman are Agape House Chocolate Contest winners

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Melanie Fillauer, second from right, is the grand prize winner in the Agape House chocolate contest. With her are the contest judges, from left, Jeanne Gorman, Kelly Callison, and Elaine Graham. (Submitted photo)

Melanie Fillauer, second from right, is the grand prize winner in the Agape House chocolate contest. With her are the contest judges, from left, Jeanne Gorman, Kelly Callison, and Elaine Graham. (Submitted photo)

 

More than 130 chocolate lovers attended the recent “Evening of Everything Chocolate” in support of Agape House of Oak Ridge, a nonprofit organization providing transitional housing for the homeless.

The evening featured tables filled with chocolate desserts in the Social Hall of Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church and a chocolate dessert contest. This year’s grand prize winner for best chocolate dessert was Melanie Fillauer with her Jack Daniels fudge pie. It was the second win for Fillauer, who won the first chocolate contest sponsored by Agape House two years ago. She took home a gold medal and a gift certificate for dinner at Aubrey’s Restaurant.

Rebecca Bowman won second place in the contest with her cookies with a kick. Judges were Jeanne Gorman, last year’s gold medal winner; Kelly Callison, Oak Ridge City Council member and chief operating officer of Information International Associates; and Elaine Graham, owner of Estate Sales Professionals, or the “Purple Van People.”

“Agape House counts on this annual fundraiser to produce 35 percent of our budget, and we are glad to announce that we achieved this goal this year,” said Michael McCutcheon, Agape House director. “We thank our sponsors, our ticket sellers, our volunteers, and all our ticket buyers for helping us help our struggling homeless neighbors.” [Read more…]

Free Medical Clinic’s FMC Bash: Auctions, dinner, dance contest on Aug. 12

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Some of the dancers who will compete at the FMC Bash on Aug. 12, 2017, are, from left in front, Brianna Sprunger, Heidi O'Steen and Cande Seay; from left in the middle row, Laura Lynn Riden and Leslie England; and from left in back, David Vudragovich, Bruce England, and Hans Vogel. (Submitted photo)

Some of the dancers who will compete at the FMC Bash on Aug. 12, 2017, are, from left in front, Brianna Sprunger, Heidi O’Steen and Cande Seay; from left in the middle row, Laura Lynn Riden and Leslie England; and from left in back, David Vudragovich, Bruce England, and Hans Vogel. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

The best party in town, many attendees have said! A lively dance contest, delicious dinner, drinks, and delightful auction items. A Hawaiian sunset theme. Dance music by popular disc jockey Dave King. Casual attire.

Elaine Graham, the entertaining emcee and auctioneer and 2016 dance contest winner, will run the show, the annual “fun” fundraiser for the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. FMCOR volunteers and staff will present the FMC Bash on Saturday, August 12, from 5 to 10 p.m. in the Parish Life Center of St. Mary’s Church, 327 Vermont Avenue, according to an FMCOR press release.

The dance contestants include Leslie and Bruce England of Jada Blade, Hans Vogel, Cande Seay, Laura Lynn Riden, Ruby Miller, Heidi Osteen, David Vudragovich, Briana Sprunger, Samantha and Matt Berven. You can “vote” now and that evening on the amazing and amusing Oak Ridge dancers as they compete in the celebrity dance contest.

The live auction, to be officiated by “Bear” Stephenson, will include big items such as a week’s stay in Maui, Hawaii, in a two-bedroom, two-bath condo that sleeps six and sits on the beach; an incredible Indian experience for eight at the home of Ginny and Sam Basseen that features an authentic Indian dinner, traditional Indian dancers, and more; a week’s stay in a two-bedroom, two-bath condo that sleeps eight and is in Crescent Beach, Florida, near historic St. Augustine; a dinner in the garden for 30 that offers wine, food and fun, and an evening of Hawaiian hospitality with dinner for 20. [Read more…]

United Way of Anderson County relocates

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United Way of Anderson County

United Way of Anderson County has relocated to 728 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

The offices are now in a section of the former Daniel Arthur building that was recently vacated by the Emory Valley Center. This move will help United Way to not only maintain, but further drastically reduce, its low overhead costs, allowing more of each donation to go directly to individuals and families in need, a press release said.

“United Way of Anderson County thanks their board, volunteers, and the staff of Emory Valley Center for their help and support during the move,” the press release said. If you have any questions about the new location or the services offered by UWAC and its partners, call (865) 483-8431 or send an email to director@uwayac.org. You can also visit www.uwayac.org for updates.

This press release was submitted by Naomi Asher.